As a host & licensed realtor with multiple properties in both Los Angeles & Las Vegas which I book directly and also have listed with multiple vacation rental agencies, SAVE YOURSELF TIME, MONEY & AGGRAVATION by booking either DIRECTLY with the host or through other REPUTABLE
Agencies, such as Roomorama.

What Airbnb is saying that they are taking NO risk, and it is up to us, users of their service to figure things out. YES it does open the door to scams, and I just fell for one myself. They have a great model, but their current approach is a disaster waiting to happen. I do not recommend using their services unless you are willing to take the risk.

We are hosts and we give our guests wonderful service and amenities. We were not vetted but all our info is on facebook and linked in. Our property is also viewable on google maps We have good reviews from all our guests so all this is checkable beforehand. I have noticed recently that several guests have been very demanding and want hotel service. Because we are are a private home we are unable to do that.
As far as fees are concerned, we hosts don't see any money until the guest has been with us for 24 hours. Sometimes guests dont pay the cleaning fee or pet cost and I don't know until after the guests have arrived.
I would recommend checking out everthing before you book including the area and don't go for the cheapest space. That spells trouble. Also once you have booked call the host and speak to them personally to get an idea of who they are.
Also AirBnb website has problems. I lost several guests because their paypal link didn't work. One woman told me they held onto her money for seven days.
As a world traveller, I would not use AirBnb in a country I didn't know. It's too dangerous. Especially in third world countries
Hope all this helps. Renee

Airbnb is amazing on so many levels for host and guest. Stick with super host with great reviews and you'll never have a problem PERIOD

Air bnb denies, defames and defrauds. They have no risks and all the gains. They get it from the host and the tenant. The host has no control of the security deposit and the tenant has no guarantee of getting what they paidfor. I compare Air bnb to a used car salesman, you get what you pay for. Try VRBO or other vacation sites and deal with the owner. At least when you deal with the owner you can have someone come and preview the home without putting your money out and you can also get the address and Google earth it to find out what type of neighborhood you are in. My words of wisdom as a host. Google my home 171 Coronado, half moon bay, ca and you get a real human, not a tool. I'm a tool, LOL

The booking process puts all the risk on the booker with none to airnbnb who actually make a profit earning interest all funds paid at time of booking especially when it is a far out check in date... The majority of the host have their product listed on other sites. I strongly recommend using the airbnb site for product information ONLY... in most cases if it is a credible product will find it on another site... The AIrbnb business model is totally scewed to benefit the owners... Stay Away from this type of company and you WILL find their product offerings on other site and try and find a way to deal directing with the Owner of the property you are interested in... I made one booking and never again... I was lucky and the host was amazing but once I got her email I dealt directly with the owner at all times... I have since given her email to other potential clients...

Problem is you can't tell ahead of time the character of the property owner. Ask yourself how much is your safety worth?

They responded to my complaint and I am very happy with the service we got from the provider. I have had good luck in the past - just had trouble with the validation process.

Maybe because Airbnb is not very well run...

I don't know why they take the money from customers because they certainly don't give it to the host until after the customer has checked in.
I would recommend doing a thorough investigation about a property before you rent, because with airbnb if thing go well, it's great, but if something goes wrong you are on an uphill battle.
Hope that helps and good luck. All of my guests had a wonderful experience I just had one bad apple and got no assistance from airbnb.

I agree with all the above. They do not vet their hosts sufficiently and offer little follow through except for sympathy. The gal that would not answer or confirm my room, despite initially inviting me, is still advertising through air bnb. When i travel, I need a higher degree of service from a booking site.

I had a confirmation from the host, but it was still 4 weeks out from my visit when I called and cancelled. I was going to book another room with airbnb (we ended up needing more space) but when I found out about the fee they keep I booked with a hotel instead. I've never had a hotel charge me 4 weeks out from cancellation unless it is non-refundable and you are told that upfront.

Dont use airbnb. Take your money right away. If you want or need to cancel they keep 50% terrible company. Book through someone else

Stay away

Just stay away from air Bnb they are the worst. Book with someone else. Don't waste your time with them. I will never use there service ever again.

Take heed of all the reviews and stop looking for a good reason to book with Airbnb because there isn't one! Take my advice and use the methods that have been proven to work for many many years. Airbnb is a game of roulette from start to finish.

I believe they do take your money before the confirmation. When I had not received a confirmation (after supplying personal information and "paying" through PayPal, I received notification that my payment would be "released" but may not show up in my bank account for 7 days. Fortunately, PayPal had not yet taken the money from my account, so it was not a problem for me. However, I think if I had given them a debit or credit card number my card would have been charged and I would have been without the funds for 7 days. For people with tighter cash flows, that would have been a big problem.

I will answer your question by saying you are exactly right to be concerned and here is my earlier review: This is the worst service ever. I have had the worst experience with AirBnB. They really need to vet their hosts. I just arrived from Montreal to Brooklyn to find the house I was to stay in had a broken window and glass all along the patio. The host notified me by e-mail as I was driving down, but I was already en route. Hard to cancel and find other accommodations at this point. However, that's what I did when I arrived to the sketchy neighbourhood and a broken window with easy access. My 6 yo was terrified at the prospect of staying there. Air BnB's policy? Work it out with the host. The host's response "Not My Problem" and "No refund". Air BnB's policy allows you to be sent in to unsafe conditions, ripped off by a host and if you cancel the reservation you can't even write a review to warn others. This is Bad for your brand Air BnB. At the very least allow us to write a review if we've had this kind of experience.

This does not sound right are you sure the booking was not confirmed I have had enquiry from a guest but they did not confirm booking so you would not pay anything unless you confirmed this booking with the hoast I would suggest contacting airbnb and raising your issue with them. I have used airbnb this year as a hoast and I would rate them very highly compared to the competition